A Hundred Ways To Say I Love You
by fostersjacob
Summary: You don't have to say those three words to say those three words. Eleanor knows this... Jasper does too. Inspired by a Tumblr post titled 'One Hundred Ways To Say I Love You'.
1. The First Way

AN: Hello! I am rather new to The Royals fandom but I binge watched it a short while ago and got hooked instantly, I was especially drawn to the pairing of the Princess and her Bodyguard. So, here I am, filling my need for more Jeleanor/Jaspenor with my own fanfiction.

* * *

 ** _"Pull over. Let me drive for a while."_**

Eleanor is enjoying herself in the passenger seat, it's quiet, eerily quiet but she has a nice view. A very nice view indeed. _Jasper_. Oh, Jasper. He is ever so tall and handsome, he gets under her skin, he doesn't take any of her shit, he infuriates her but she couldn't be happier to have him in her life. Even if she doesn't say such things to him. _'God,'_ Eleanor thought to herself. _'He'd never fucking let me live it down if he knew.'_

He can see her watching him out of the corner of his eye, it does something to him and that, well that really fucking confuses him. Eleanor, well, she's a god damn Princess and he's just, he's just Jasper from Las Vegas. He shouldn't be thinking about her as often he does, or in the way that he does, he's not the kind of guy who gets to end up with the Princess, he's the kind of guy who fucks the Princess before she meets the guy she'll end up with. That's what he tells himself but sometimes he just pretends. He pretends that, maybe, just maybe, he has a shot.

"God, Jasper," Eleanor groans. "How much fucking longer til we get there?"

Jasper doesn't even glance in her direction as he speaks, something which leaves her feeling somewhat disappointed. "A couple more hours Princess."

"Ugh."

Seeing Eleanor this way is highly amusing for Jasper. He can't suppress his laugh, he really can't help himself. "Well, your highness, YOU are the one who wanted to be certain to have some peace, some time to yourself away from dozens of paps, so here I am, driving, taking an extremely long route."

Eleanor rolls her eyes. "It didn't take much convincing if I remember rightly, bodyguard."

Jasper smiles. "No," he replies. "No it didn't, Princess."

He yawns again and Eleanor suddenly has this strange feeling, she feels the need to, to take care of him. She feels genuinely concerned for his wellbeing and the thought fucking terrifies her because, well, she's the Princess, she doesn't get attached... It just doesn't happen. Yet here, right beside her, is a fake British bodyguard from Las Vegas and she feels like a teenage girl again, when she first began to crush on Beck. But this, this was different somehow and that only terrified her more.  
"Jasper," Eleanor says quietly. "You must be exhausted. Pull over. Let me drive for a while."

He takes one hand off the steering wheel, so he can place it on top of hers though he waits a second before squeezing it gently. "I'm okay Eleanor, besides... Do you even know how to drive?"

Eleanor pulls her hand away from his hand quickly but she isn't as angry as she pretends to be and he knows it, the god damn cocky smirk on his face confirms that for her. "I'll have you know, Jasper from Las Vegas, that I can drive. Sort of."

Jasper laughs and Eleanor thinks it's a beautiful sound. "Whatever you say, Princess. Whatever you say."


	2. The Second Way

AN: Hello… Again. Yes, another one already. I've been feeling really inspired lately, in fact I'm currently planning a full length E/J fic at the moment. Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

" **There is enough room for both of us."**

It was only supposed to be a bit of fun, some convenient yet really great sex, it wasn't supposed to become more. Eleanor doesn't do relationships, not really, and she gets the impression that Jasper doesn't either. So she's having a difficult time wrapping her head around the fact that she, Her Royal fucking Highness, has feelings for an ex-con man turned bodyguard. She had spent days in denial about it and to make it worse, she couldn't even avoid him, he was always there, wherever she turned. Except for today.

Jasper hasn't seen Eleanor since he left her bed this morning and it scares him how much he misses her; how much he wants to be around her. ' _I'm well and truly fucked,'_ He thought to himself. But the thing is, he doesn't mind, he would willingly surrender his heart to the Princess, if only she'd have him. He's fucked up a lot, he knows that and god, he isn't fucking proud of it but he knows, that he loves her, he has known for a little while now and it doesn't scare him as much today as it did yesterday.

Eleanor debated whether or not to wait up, to see if Jasper would come, she opted to wait. He always comes. Sure enough, her bedroom door flung open and there stood her, well, her something. "Did you miss me, bodyguard?" Eleanor asked playfully, though she really did want to know. Jasper knew her well enough to know that too.

He slowly walked towards her, taking off his jacket and letting it fall to the floor. "Yes," He admitted. "But you already knew that, didn't you, Eleanor!?"

Eleanor placed her hand on his chest, she could feel his heart beating really hard and she gulped. The look in his eyes made her want to jump his bones that very second. "Perhaps I did, bodyguard."

Jasper leaned a little closer, his forehead touching hers. "You missed me too," He whispered, he wasn't asking, he was stating it as a fact, he was that confident.

The word came tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop herself. "Yes." She told him.

"I should go."

Eleanor sighed. "You should."

"Yes," He mumbled.

Jasper turned away from her but he barely took two steps before he felt her grip his hand tight.

"Stay," She said quietly, not meeting his gaze. "Please."

His breath hitched in his throat and Eleanor could see he was torn, between doing what was right and doing what he wanted to do. She wouldn't look away from him and he relented, he wasn't going anywhere, not tonight. "Okay."

Eleanor led Jasper to her bed, just like she's done many times before but something felt different tonight. She could feel it. He could feel it too. Jasper watched her get into her bed but he didn't move, he just watched her attentively.

When she noticed him still standing there she patted the space in bed beside her. "For fuck sake Jasper, there is enough room for both of us, now get your horny American arse over here and fuck me."

He smiled. "With pleasure," he told her, a big smirk on his face. Something about the way he looked at her sent a shiver down Eleanor's spine.

' _Damn you, Jasper Frost. Damn you.'_


	3. The Third Way

AN: Hello... Yeah, I'm back at it again. I really cannot get enough of these two and I have no shame, lol. Thanks for the kind reviews so far, it's much appreciated! :)

* * *

" **Don't worry about me."**

He had done it. For her. He pressed the button, so she didn't have to. He didn't want her to have to live with that, he wanted to carry the burden for her. He led her through a crowd of paparazzi and he didn't notice the way she was looking at him because he was far too focused on getting her the hell out of there. As he held on to her to get her out of the stadium and into the car, all he could think about was making sure she was safe, that and the way it felt when she took his hand and held it mere minutes ago.

Once they were both safely inside of the car they found the silence to be deafening. Jasper was pleasantly surprised when Eleanor took his hand, for the second time that day, and held it tight. He could see that she was fighting back tears, his princess, always so brave, so strong. It only made him love her more and he realized, right then, exactly how hard it would be to walk away from her and leave, leave like he promised, so she could move on. "I'm here," he whispered, as they pulled up in front of the Palace. "With you. I'm right here."

She didn't speak but squeezed his hand. _Oh Jasper, please don't go. I take it back. Stay, stay, stay._

Jasper's phone interrupted the silence. It was an update about Prince Liam, he was in no fit state to return to the Palace and demanded to be taken elsewhere, Jasper is to remain responsible for the Princess and if necessary Her Majesty the Queen. "Eleanor," he said. "Let's get you inside, your mother, she'll want to see you."

"Right," she said, the first word she'd spoken since the chaos at the King's Cup.

So, they got out of the car and headed inside. Still Eleanor held Jasper's hand, she didn't care if it made her weak, she needed him. He thought she'd have let go before seeing her mother but she didn't, Queen Helena noticed it immediately but said nothing of it. "Thank goodness you're alright, Eleanor." The Queen exclaimed, she truly had feared the worst for a while there.

Eleanor didn't pull away, instead she let her mother hold her.

Jasper stood there quietly, feeling as if he was intruding but he couldn't leave, not even if he wanted to. "Mr Pryce has been reprimanded, your Majesty." Jasper informed the Queen.

Helena lifted her head up just a little bit so she could look right at the bodyguard. "Thank you, Frost."

The hours passed quickly. Now Mr Hill and various other members of the Royal Family's security detail had returned to the Palace, Jasper could, in theory, leave. But he couldn't. Not without seeing her first, he had to see her. He didn't walk right into her room like he would have normally done, instead he knocked, he was a bundle of nerves and he hadn't come expecting forgiveness, he wouldn't ask for it, he just wanted to see her, one last time. Upon hearing a faint, "Come in," from the Princess, Jasper opened the door and entered the room that was not his, but felt much like home. Though that feeling had more to do with the person the room belonged to and not the room itself.

She'd been crying. He could tell as soon as he walked in. She stood up as soon as she saw him, then her eyes trailed to the suitcase in her doorway and she nearly doubled over at the sight of it, the pain of the realization hitting her like a truck.

He forced himself to smile. "I know I shouldn't be here but I, well, I needed to see you, before I go."

Eleanor frowned. "Where will you go?" She asked, not even attempting to hide her concern.

Jasper shrugged. He honestly hadn't thought that far ahead. "I don't know."

"Thank you," She said, blinking back tears. "For today. I don't know what I would've done, I-"

"It's okay," Jasper said, cutting her off. He stepped closer, a little closer, and now he was close enough that she could see the tears forming in his eyes, too.

Eleanor smiled sadly. Then, she surprised not only Jasper but herself, and hugged him. She didn't say anything. She just let Jasper hold her and she felt, despite the events of the day, happy. Happy to have someone who would hold her like this and let her deal with things however she needed to deal with them to cope, to survive.

A few minutes passed and still not a word had been spoken between them. Jasper felt his heart breaking a little more with every fleeting second. He had to go. Now. Or he never would, and he couldn't do that, not to her. He kissed the top of her head and then, gently, pushed her away.

"You're going to be okay, Len," Jasper told her, his voice hoarse. "You're strong, stronger than all of them, you have people here who love you more than anything, lean on them, you'll be okay." A tear escaped and trailed down his cheek. "I'm sorry, I'm so god damn sorry Eleanor, for everything."

She hadn't said a word, she just stared at him and so he turned, and he walked away. "Wait," She called out, the sound of her voice immediately bringing him to a halt. "What about you?" She asked, her voice so quiet, so vulnerable.

He looked at her, for what he thought might be the last time and said, "Don't worry about me, Princess. As long as you're okay, that's all I want, that's all that matters."

She couldn't let him leave. He was Jasper. She didn't want him to leave. "Stay," She whispered ever so quietly. But he heard. He stayed.


	4. The Fourth Way

AN: Hello everyone, I just wanted to say a big thank you for all the kind words I've received so far regarding this fic. You make me smile. Also… Feel free to request a way to say 'I love you' and I'll do my best to write something for you and include it here, for example a friend of mine suggested I do one based on "You inspire me" which I really liked so now I just have to decide whether or not to have Jasper say it or Eleanor, thoughts? Lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one! :)

* * *

" _ **Well, what do you want to do?"  
**_

She doesn't know how he did it, she didn't ask, she was just glad. Eleanor needed to get out, out of the palace, she needed to be somewhere, anywhere, other than there and Jasper, well, he understood. "It's not what you'll be used to," He told her sheepishly, once they'd arrived at his flat. He sounded somewhat embarrassed but she didn't care, about all that stuff, he had nothing to be ashamed about.

"Not a decorating kind of man, Jasper from Las Vegas?" Eleanor joked.

Jasper smiled. "Never had to be," He replied. "I might do something on my next day off though."

That had made Eleanor smile. This had to be good, he had to be planning on sticking around then. "Yes," Eleanor said. "You probably should, Bodyguard."

"I'll get right on that, your highness."

"Thank you," Eleanor said. "For getting me out of it. I'll see to it that you don't get any shit for this."

Jasper grinned. "Why thank you, Princess."

Being in Jasper's flat was strange for Eleanor, to say the least. She cannot remember ever being somewhere like this and feeling so content, deep down she knew that had nothing to do with the location but the person right in front of her. Eleanor wanted to trust him, she really did, especially now, after everything they've been through but she's scared. She's scared that if she gives him her trust that somehow, someway, she'll end up hurt.

Jasper seemed to pick up on the somewhat serious vibe coming from Eleanor and so he spoke. "Everything okay?" He asked.

Eleanor plastered a smile on her face, not that it took much forcing, merely looking at Jasper seemed to be reason enough these days for her to smile. "I'm fine," She answered. "I'm just, I, um, I'm just enjoying the quiet. It's… It's different."

Jasper nodded in understanding. "I get that."

"You do?" She asked in surprise.

He had taken a seat and so she did the same, right beside him on his plain small sofa. "Yeah," He told her. "Sometimes, I just, I need a break from the noise."

She looked at him then, right at him, and she felt as if she was truly seeing him. Jasper Frost, human being, and not Jasper from Vegas/Shoreditch/Wherever. He looked at her and saw something similar and it both excited and terrified him all at once.

"I don't want to return to the Palace tonight, Jasper." Eleanor informed him.

Jasper didn't look at all surprised and to be honest, he was relieved. It was nice to be here, with her. Very nice indeed. "Oh really?"

Eleanor smiled shyly, the uncharacteristic act did take Jasper by surprise but pleasantly so. Seeing Eleanor not oozing confidence was fascinating, it fascinated him that he had some sort of effect on the girl he's been fucking, and is now without a doubt in love with. "Will that be a problem, bodyguard?"

Jasper laughed, he actually smirked and laughed. "Not at all, your highness."

He had moved slightly closer to Eleanor and she hadn't moved away, he took that as a good sign. If Eleanor wanted space, from him, she would have been very vocal about it, Jasper was confident about that. "Eleanor," Jasper said quietly, the expression on his face much more serious than any Eleanor's used to.

Eleanor felt like a schoolgirl with her first crush whenever he said her name, she could listen to him speak her name all day and never tire of it. This fact concerned her yet intrigued her too. "Yes Jasper?" She asked, smirking as she put extra emphasis on his name. She recognized the look in his eyes, she could see the lust as clear as day but there was something else too but she didn't want to acknowledge that, not yet, it was too soon for her, she wasn't ready to acknowledge anything more than lust, regardless of her own feelings for the bodyguard.

He couldn't get enough of her and it had been far too long, three days, since the last time he'd gotten her into bed and he was, unashamedly, very sexually frustrated. "I've missed you," He told her, his voice rather husky. "And I think you missed me too."

She could have flat out denied it right there and then but she knew Jasper, she knew that he would see past the bullshit, he always has done. "Well," Eleanor said. "What do you want to do, Jasper from Las Vegas? Do you want to take advantage of me?"

Jasper was rather excited by the suggestive tone Eleanor used, she was challenging him and he was most definitely up to the task. It took merely seconds to pick her up, allow her to wrap her legs around his waist and lead her to his hardly ever used bed, all without breaking their kiss for even a fraction of second. Then he got to take advantage of his Princess. Several times. When he woke up with her in bed the next morning he couldn't stop himself from smiling, he smiled so hard it actually began to hurt. ' _I'm so whipped,' Jasper mumbled._ Little did he know that Eleanor was awake and she had heard him, but she didn't say a word.


	5. The Fifth Way

AN: Hello! Thank you all so much for your lovely reviews and for reading this little work of mine, it means a lot. I hope you're all having a fabulous day, here… Have some Eleanor/Jasper! :)

* * *

" **I'll still be here when you're ready."**

Eleanor Henstridge used to live a relatively simple life. Get high, get drunk, get laid. In the past year her life has changed significantly and a lot of that is down to her bloody bodyguard, Jasper from Nevada. _Ah, Jasper._ He'd intrigued her from the start, she yearned to be controlled and he willingly obliged. She was a mess but, Eleanor quickly noticed, so was he. Yet together, their mess seemed like a potentially beautiful thing.

Jasper Frost had been there for her today, in a way nobody else ever had and she was in awe. This man who less than 24 hours before she'd told to leave once all of this was done, he never once left her side, he pressed transmit, he held her hand, he led her out of the stadium, protected her fiercely and she was in awe. Eleanor and Jasper have been through a lot together and yeah, being around him was hard, but as he guided her out of the stadium after the reveal of King Simon's true killer she couldn't stop thinking about how life without Jasper Frost would be much harder than life with him.

He had been pacing outside her room for what felt like forever but in reality it was fifteen minutes. Eleanor could tell it was him, she just knew. He'd been uncharacteristically quiet since their return to the palace, Eleanor chalked it up to the events of the day and also the prospect of him leaving, like she had asked him to last night. The thought of Jasper actually leaving made her heart ache. "For fuck sake Jasper," Eleanor shouted out to him. "Just fucking come in already!"

It only took two seconds for Jasper to appear right in front her and the sight of him made her feel all gooey inside and she hated that, it was so hard to be around him, she loathed him for it… For making her fall in love with him. "Well?" Eleanor asked, eyebrows raised and a certain edge to her voice.

Jasper looked like a lost little boy, overcome with nerves, and the fear showed on his face, in his eyes but he didn't care to hide it. This was the woman he loved, right in front of him and he could put his heart on his sleeve for her, he could. "I just wanted to see how you were doing," He said warily, his eyes trailed towards her usual stash that she would use whenever her world came crashing down all around her. "I worry about you."

His words calmed her, Eleanor had visibly softened. "Oh," She murmured. "I'm okay bodyguard, well I'm not but I'm not like, I need to get fifty shades of fucked up not okay, you know?"

"Okay." He said, a small smile appeared on his face.

She hoped he didn't bring it up yet she also hoped that he did. Eleanor just wanted him to stay, that's all she knew and she hoped that he knew it too, despite everything and because of everything.

"I wanted to say goodbye," He told her, the sadness in his voice broke Eleanor's heart. "The Palace is officially off of lockdown now and I can leave."

She should have expected this. She told him to do this. This was what she had wanted. _'No, Eleanor, for fuck sake, you're in love with this American bastard.'_

"Oh,"

"I wanted to let you know how much I… How sorry I am," He replied. "I'm so god damn sorry, Eleanor, and I know, god I fucking know, how badly I've hurt you and I don't deserve you, to be in your life at all, but I'm going to miss you, I'm gonna miss you a fucking lot Princess."

Eleanor held back her tears the best she could but not even someone as strong and courageous as her could stop a few from spilling out. "I don't want you to go, Jasper," Eleanor confessed. "I want you to stay."

Jasper thought he'd heard wrong at first but he hadn't and he was surprised, pleasantly so. "Okay," He said.

"Okay?"

He smiled at her, the biggest smile Eleanor had ever seen. "I'll stay then." Jasper told her.

Jasper took his hand in hers then and it felt like it was made for him, to be held by him and it was such a great feeling. Eleanor liked it, the way it made her feel, the way Jasper bloody Frost made her feel. She was in love. Truly. "Good," Eleanor said. "It would have been a shame to see you go, I don't think any replacement would have been anywhere near as entertaining or capable of vanishing from my bed half as fast as you."

He laughed at that, it may not have been quite the words he was hoping for but it was a good start, a positive sign. Jasper squeezed her hand and he felt her tremble at the slight sign of affection. "What is this?" He whispered, afraid of her answer.

Eleanor sighed. "I don't know, Jasper," She answered. "I need time."

"Okay," Jasper said quietly, letting go of Eleanor's hand and watching it drop.

Eleanor missed his touch instantly and quickly turned around, the pain in his eyes made her want to take it back and just jump his bones already and be with him, truly be with him but she couldn't not yet. "Jasper," Eleanor said softly, speaking his name as if it were her favourite word. "I do want this, I… I just can't, not right now."

"I know," He replied. "I'll still be here… When you're ready."

Eleanor smiled, it was what exactly what she needed to hear. Jasper knew her, he understood her and he loved her too, she thought, he would wait and one day she would be ready, and when that day comes neither of them would fuck it up, their second chance will be all they need, they will be okay, they will be happy… Together.


	6. The Sixth Way

AN: Thank you all so much for reading this collection of one shots and leaving such kind reviews, you truly make me smile so big! Here's hoping you enjoy this one :)

* * *

" **I just want you."**

He couldn't take his eyes off of the Princess. She was absolutely stunning, she was dancing and most importantly she was genuinely having a good time, all without being under the influence of drugs. Sure, she'd had a few drinks but she hadn't gone crazy and it made Jasper beam with pride. He was originally on duty tonight but a replacement had arrived a little over ten minutes ago and so Jasper was free to go but he couldn't because he wanted to be wherever Eleanor was.

Jasper's relationship with Eleanor was complicated to say the least. A complete mind fuck, as Eleanor had told him just a few nights ago, not long after the King's Cup. But it was his... Theirs, whatever this was, it was all theirs and nobody could take that away from them. He didn't see Eleanor looking at him because his focus had been disrupted by a random seemingly innocent drunk woman, who Jasper could tell was interested in him and a year ago he wouldn't have thought twice about it but things are different now. Eleanor. Eleanor. Eleanor. She was the only one who mattered, and nobody else would ever come close and Jasper was okay with that.

The drunk girl giggled as she placed her hand on the bodyguard's chest, unaware of the daggers being aimed in her direction from the nation's Princess, a Princess who viewed the man in question as hers, only hers. Even though they're not together properly, at least not right now, he is hers and she's embarrassed about how enraged she is about this. Jasper didn't encourage the anonymous party girl at all but still Eleanor fumed.

Jasper moved but not quick enough to avoid her altogether, the drunken girl's lips grazed against the corner of his mouth, though to his credit Jasper jumped back faster than any other hot blooded male would have. It was then that Jasper saw Eleanor had been watching him, he could see a familiar look in her eyes… Jealousy. The Princess stormed over, knocked the drunken girl out of her way and without uttering a single word she yanked Jasper away from the dancefloor and more importantly to Eleanor, away from the pretty drunk girl who wanted to mount him.

Eleanor had led Jasper to a barely lit but extremely private corner of the club, a corner in a room specifically for VIPs and much to her delight, they were the only ones around tonight. She kissed him because she could, she wanted him, he was hers and someone else had tried to slide in, she kissed him because she was the only one she wanted him to kiss. As Jasper got more into the kissing, Eleanor pulled back and slapped him hard across the face.

Jasper grinned. "Well, that wasn't very lady like, your highness."

"Fuck you," Eleanor said venomously, still seething with jealousy.

"You know you'd like to." Jasper teased, oozing confidence.

"The girl back there would certainly like to." Eleanor snapped, making the smile fall from Jasper's face.

"Len," He said cautiously. "There wasn't anything."

"Don't," Eleanor whispered, afraid of having a conversation about her feelings in a club with her bodyguard turned something more.

Jasper kissed her and once she reciprocated he pulled away. "There are no other girls," He said quietly as he buried his head in her neck, his arms wrapped around her tightly. Jasper kissed her neck before he continued. "Only you, there's only you," He murmured. "I don't want anyone else, not now, not ever."

Eleanor smiled as Jasper kissed her neck again, this time lower and again, lower, again, lower, again, lower until he moved slightly to place a kiss on her shoulder.

"She might have wanted me but I never wanted her, not for a second," Jasper continued, still holding Eleanor tightly as if he never wanted to let go, ever. "I hadn't taken my eyes off you all night and it wasn't just because I'm paid to do so, it's more, it's been so much more for a long time now Princess, I want you, it fucking terrifies me how much I want you, all the fucking time."

"Only me?" Eleanor asked, the hopefulness in her voice resonated with her bodyguard.

"Only you," Jasper answered. "Now, you've been teasing the fuck out of me all night in that little black dress of yours, so, if you don't mind, I need to fucking fuck you right now."

Eleanor looked up at him with an eyebrow raised once he'd loosened his grip on her, she already missed being held by him and it had only been a few seconds. The mischievous grin on Jasper's face already confirmed for her that he was 100% serious. She gripped his collar, a massive smirk on her face as she did so. "Well, bodyguard, I have some serious concerns about whether or not you are capable of guarding my body."

Jasper was in his element, Eleanor did things to him that he can't find an explanation before, no girl has ever had any kind of power over him and yet Princess Eleanor Henstridge has his heart in her hand and he'd willingly let her break it if he had to. "I would hate to disappoint, your highness, perhaps you'll allow me to prove my worth in the back of your limo?"

Eleanor threw her head back and laughed. There was a certain twinkle in her eye when she looked back at Jasper. "Hmm, I suppose I could give you another shot at proving whether or not you're up to the task of guarding my body, Jasper from Shoreditch."

Jasper bowed then and Eleanor couldn't control her laughter, she was howling but Jasper was enchanted by it, it sounded so god damn beautiful to him. "Thank you, your highness."

Eleanor grabbed Jasper's hand and made her way out of the club with him, she couldn't control herself and kissed him on their way to her limo. She saw flashes of light as she done so but didn't care, the paparazzi couldn't ruin this moment for her, this night with Jasper, neither could her mother tomorrow morning. They didn't waste any time once they were both safely inside Eleanor's limo. The kissing didn't stop and Eleanor had never been more glad that her driver couldn't see what goes on back here. "I want you," Jasper whispered as he left a trail of kisses on Eleanor's now fully exposed body. "Only you. I just want you."

And he proved it, twice in the limo and three more times in the Princess' bedroom that night.

 _'I want you too,' Eleanor had thought to herself. 'All the fucking time.'_


	7. The Seventh Way

AN: Hello! Thank you those who are following this collection of one shots, reading these one shots, leaving reviews of these one shots, it's all very much appreciated! July is almost over and we're one step closer to season 3, ahhh… Anyway, hopefully you enjoy this new one :)

* * *

" **You don't have to say anything."**

She was laying in her bed next to Jasper, facing him, when she had the urge to ask questions. The kinds of questions you might ask a boyfriend, which Eleanor found preposterous, Jasper bloody Frost was absolutely not her boyfriend… Yet. _'We just shag… A lot… And don't shag anybody else.'_ Eleanor told herself because believing anything else meant that she was in this and in turn she could end up hurt, he had the power to destroy her and Eleanor, well she certainly didn't find the prospect of heartbreak an appealing one.

"Jasper," Eleanor said. "Tell me something."

Jasper opened his eyes then and noticed the curious expression on the Princess' face. "You're beautiful."

Eleanor smiled but rolled her eyes and scoffed, "That's all well and good bodyguard but I meant tell me something I don't know… About you, that is."

Jasper frowned. "What kind of something?"

"I don't know exactly," Eleanor answered. "Just something, anything, about your life, your childhood, anything. We do a lot of shagging Frost so I feel as if I have the right to at least know more about you. Don't you think?"

He nodded, a nervous smile on his face. "Okay, yeah sure."

Eleanor made a gesture with her hand as if to say, 'Well, go on then!'

Jasper said the first thing that came to mind, despite the fact that this is something he's never once spoken about to anyone. "I'm jealous of you." He confessed to her.

The Princess furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What?"

He sighed. "I'm jealous of you, Eleanor, I'm jealous because you have a family that loves you and yeah, your relationship with your mother is, uh, unique but when it comes down to it she would do anything for you and you for her. You have a family and it reminds me that I don't," Jasper told her and he didn't know why, there was just something about Eleanor that made him want to tell her things, things he'd never told anybody else, so he did.

The look on Eleanor's face was unrecognizable and she hadn't said a word, she just looked at him and it made him feel as if she was looking right inside of him, that she could see his soul or some shit like that. Eleanor said nothing and so Jasper carried on. "I grew up on the outskirts of Vegas, only child, it was lonely but still, better than having another kid dealing with my parents too, so it was a comfort I guess. Things weren't always bad, my dad used to have a good job, or so I was told, I don't really remember but he was let go and I guess things just gradually got worse. My old man liked a drink and he liked having his own punching bag to make himself better, my mother, well, she was no help, the one great love of her life was prescription pills and I just got in the way. Uh, when I was little, okay don't laugh, but when I was little I wanted to be an astronaut, I wanted to walk on the moon like Neil Armstrong. On my fifth birthday all I wanted was a toy rocket, just a tiny little thing, ya know? They could have gotten one for a dollar from the store but my parents were on a binge and forgot about me, I had my uh first brush with the law that day, I just wanted a candy bar, not even a cake but I didn't have a dime so I wandered out of the house, down the street to the store right on the corner and I shoved a bunch of candy bars into my back pocket, as I walked out a policeman was there, some old guy and he took me back home and my parents made their apologies and when he was gone my dad got the belt out and said "There's your god damn present, you little brat" and I've never forgotten it, so ever since my fifth birthday I've been jealous, jealous of my friends for having a normal family with a normal life, jealous of anyone with a family, a family that loved them, so yeah, I'm jealous of you."

Eleanor didn't comment on the fact that Jasper looked on the verge of tears and he was grateful for that. Instead, Eleanor moved her hands so she could cup his face. "Jasper," She said softly, a tender look in her eye.

Jasper closed his eyes as he pressed his forehead against hers. "You don't have to say anything Princess," He mumbled. "We've all got shit we have to live with, sometimes I just wish I had a little less to carry, that's all."

"I know." Eleanor said. Her heart was broken by what Jasper had told her, she suddenly felt so ashamed for things she's said about her mother over the years, her mother was many things but she had never laid a hand on her and she had always taken care of her, in her own way. Whilst Eleanor was riding around on a horse and dreaming with ponies, Jasper was waiting for a toy rocket to play with on his birthday and it never came, it never came. She felt guilty but more than anything, she was angry, she felt a burning hatred in her heart for Jasper's parents. Jasper could feel it, it was an emotion he knew well and he could sense it.

"Don't feel bad Princess," He told her. "We're all dealt different hands in life, it's nobody's fault."

She kissed him then and in that moment she felt something change between them, a shift in their relationship or whatever it was they were. Eleanor decided there and then that this something or other between herself and Jasper will become something more, something important, a relationship. She'll tell him tomorrow perhaps, in her own way, in her own time.

When Jasper woke up the next morning the first thing he noticed was that Eleanor was nowhere to be seen, the second thing he noticed was a gift wrapped up all pretty on the bedside table. He saw that it had his name on the label and so he reached out to grab it, he opened it in a matter of seconds and when he did he smiled, he even cried a little but he'd never tell anybody that part. There in the box was a small toy rocket and when Jasper took out and held it in his hand he laughed joyously, a massive boyish grin on his face. "Blast off!" He exclaimed excitedly, his inner child released. _'Thank you Len, thank you.'_


	8. The Eighth Way

AN: Hello again, two uploads today and there may even be a third, if not there will definitely be one tomorrow. Thanks once again for reading these one shots and leaving the loveliest reviews, it makes me so happy :) If any of you have any ideas for a sentence (A way to say I love you) you want a chapter/one shot to be about then please feel free to mention it in a review or send me a private message or even hit me up on Twitter or something! Anyway, enjoy this other one… Hopefully lol.

* * *

" **I wanted to see you."**

It had been two weeks since Jasper left. No goodbyes. No text messages or letters or phone calls or even a god damn simple text. She was angry, so angry. Angry at Jasper but most of all, angry at herself because she sent him away, she told him to leave and never come back and he didn't try to talk her out of it, something he could have done after the King's Cup, he respected her wish and he followed through. She was angry. So god damn angry… All the time. Everybody had noticed, put two and two together, it wasn't hard to figure out, the Princess' drastic change in mood had occurred the morning she woke up and discovered that Jasper Frost was gone.

"Len," Liam said. "It's been two weeks." He was awfully concerned for his sister, to see her hurt meant that he too was hurting.

"Well fucking done Liam, you can count!" Eleanor snapped, avoiding all eye contact with her brother.

Liam sighed. "Lenny, Jasper-"

"Don't." She interrupted, an edge to her voice and some sort of authority.

Liam opened his mouth to say something but closed it once he saw the look on his twin's face. He got up and left without saying a word.

"Two weeks," Eleanor whispered to herself. "For fuck sake, Jasper."

So, Jasper has been gone for two weeks and this realization is what made her go to James Hill. Well that and the phone call she got a little more than half hour after Liam left her room. It had come from Jasper's phone and she almost didn't pick it up but she did, she did. It wasn't Jasper though, she was both disappointed and relieved about that. The guy said he was called Derek, he was a good friend of Jasper's and so he asked for her help, he was worried you see, about his oldest friend, Jasper's never exactly been a boy scout but he's on self-destruct mode, a side to Jasper unlike anything Derek has seen in all the years they've known each other or so he told Eleanor. That was all it took. The two of them were now sitting beside one another on the Princess' private jet. Mr Hill only smiled when Eleanor made the request to see Jasper, she didn't have to ask him to accompany her, in fact she'd rather be going alone but alas she is still the Princess and given the goings on the past few months she knew she wouldn't be able to go without at least one trusted bodyguard.

It was a somewhat long flight but Eleanor had slept for the majority of it, so when they landed in Las Vegas she felt nothing but refreshed, though also afraid. Afraid to see Jasper, afraid Jasper wouldn't want to see her, James had snorted when the Princess said the words aloud, he thought that was complete and utter bullshit. "You know that too, your highness." James had remarked, though the Princess said nothing in response. Her mind was full of thoughts of Jasper, anger for him, concern for him, love for him.

They had taken a car straight from an airport, stopped off at some fancy hotel, checked in, left their bags and then went straight back to the car. Eleanor could have put off seeing Jasper for another day but she didn't, she wanted to see him now. So James Hill informed the driver to go to the address which Eleanor had been provided with by Jasper's friend Derek and it wasn't far from their hotel, not far at all. It had taken ten minutes to arrive outside a seedy looking bar with a flashing lights sign, half the letters dimmed. "Wait outside." Eleanor instructed James.

She was glad James didn't start any shit about it, she needed to do this alone, to see Jasper again. So, she walked into this small and practically deserted Las Vegas bar and ignored the weird feeling at the pit of her stomach. Eleanor ignored the nerves and kept walking. Her breath caught in her throat once she saw Jasper. He looked like he hadn't sleep, he was visibly drunk and the place stunk of a smell Eleanor knew all too well, weed. Now, this definitely was not the Jasper she'd known in London, not at all, in fact she always thought Jasper was a bit highly strung, one that didn't indulge in the things she did but here he was, high as a kite, drinking as if the world were ending tomorrow and though he was handsome he looked like a mess. Beside him was a man, who looked around the same age as Jasper, with a concerned look on his face, attempting to talk to Jasper, perhaps try and get him to slow down but to no avail. Eleanor concluded that the man was Derek, the friend of Jasper's who she'd spoken with on the phone. Eleanor took a deep breath, forced a smile and walked towards them. "Bloody hell Jasper," She said as soon as she was next to him. "You look like shit."

"Jasper," Derek said. "It's that girl you keep banging on about."

"So you left without saying goodbye so you could go on a bender? Honestly Jasper, you're a bit of a bastard." Eleanor retorted.

Jasper whipped his head around, a childlike expression on his face. Eleanor was surprised he was still standing, he reeked of booze and she got the impression he wasn't used to drinking so intensely, not like she was anyway. "You're not real," He slurred, his mind all jumbled, totally convinced that the girl he was in love with wasn't actually in front of him, that he was just picturing it, that the high was torturing him with this vision of her. "Get out of my head, you're fucking evil, bad drugs, bad, bad, bad. Leave me alone, leave her alone, fuck off, fuck off."

His rambling made no sense whatever and it was fucked up, the worried look on Derek's face only made her worry more. Derek noticed her looking at him. "He's never touched drugs, he's done a lot of fucked up shit but never drugs, I guess he's a little too out of it."

"A little? He could fucking give a year ago me a run for my money right now." Eleanor snapped. She told herself she shouldn't care this much, he's only high and plying himself with alcohol, he's not her boyfriend, not her concern. ' _Bullshit, I fucking care. For fuck sake.'_

Eleanor turned away from Derek, her attention once again all on Jasper who looked like he was away with the fucking fairies. "You look like my princess," Jasper whispered, his eyes wide. "So beautiful. Eleanor's beautiful."

"Jasper," Eleanor said softly.

Jasper beamed. "You sound like my princess," He told her, a bizarre look on his face. Then he looked sad, his smile no longer there. "I miss my princess," He mumbled. "I fucked it all up, bad Jasper, shit shit shitty Jasper."

Eleanor placed a hand on his arm. "Jasper, I'm here."

Jasper's eyes flickered. "Eleanor?"

The confusion in his voice hit Eleanor hard. "The one and only, bodyguard."

He looked awestruck. His hand reached for her face and he squeezed her cheeks. "You're real."

Eleanor laughed. "Yes, Jasper, I'm real and in a shitty bar in fucking Las Vegas."

"You came." He whispered.

Eleanor's hand had gone further down his arm and now her hand gripped Jasper's hand tightly. "Yes, yes I did."

"Why? He asked, confusion etched on his face.

Eleanor squeezed his hand, smiled, then said, "I wanted to see you."

Jasper smiled like a little boy on Christmas morning. He still couldn't believe that this was actually real, Eleanor Henstridge was standing right in from of him… In Vegas, not London, Las fucking Vegas. She came, she came for him, to see him.

"You never fucking said goodbye, you absolute arsehole. Now, get your shit together and pack soon, we leave the day after tomorrow, you're coming home… With me. So, no more 'not goodbyes' will be necessary."

Jasper couldn't say a word so he just laughed and Eleanor, well, she laughed with him as he held her, swaying from side to side. He was home. She was home. Together, they were one.


	9. The Ninth Way

AN: Hello there! Thank you to all for reading and leaving such lovely reviews, you make me ever so happy :)

* * *

" _ **We'll figure it out."**_

Jasper had been pacing around Eleanor's bedroom for six minutes, Eleanor perched on the edge of her bed, watching him, almost out of patience. He was mumbling, his eyebrows furrowed, a concerned look on his face. Eleanor found it rather cute actually, though inconvenient, she supposed his pacing was a good thing. It must be a good thing, his pacing, he was still around, that must be a good thing. The unknown is what made Eleanor nervous.

"Jasper," Eleanor said quietly, trying to prompt him to snap out of his pacing and actually say something. "Jasper, fucking say something!"

Jasper whipped his head up then, stopped pacing and stood still on the spot. "I, um, I, how?"

"Well Jasper," Eleanor snapped. "You stuck your cock in me, that's how it fucking happened!"

Jasper cringed due to the look on Eleanor's face. "Shit, sorry, stupid, I'm sorry." He rambled. "Oh shit, fuck, oh fuck, oh my god, fuck."

Eleanor stood up then. She approached Jasper, she seemed to take comfort from his freaking out. Freaking out had to be good… He cared. Cared enough to freak out, to freak out at what this could mean for her, for them. "I'm late, I'm never late, so I'm going to take a fucking piss on a bloody stick and you're going to fucking wait outside the bathroom door like a good boyfriend, got it?"

Jasper chose to focus on one word of that sentence. _Boyfriend._ He waggled his eyebrows, "Boyfriend!?"

Eleanor huffed. "Honestly Jasper," She muttered. "Of all the things your brain picks up on, it has to be that one. Now is not the time for me to inflate your ego."

Jasper held his hands up. "My apologies, your highness."

Eleanor rolled her eyes but she was grateful, grateful for Jasper acting the same, for keeping some sort of normalcy for her despite the seriousness of the potential situation they may have to deal with looming over their heads. She scoffed. "Now, we'll do it now, before I start freaking the fuck out and avoid it for fucking ever."

Jasper took Eleanor's hand reassuringly, gave her a smile and led the way to Eleanor's bathroom. He let go of her hand once they were outside the door but she grabbed it back. He didn't need words, he just knew, Jasper knew what his Princess needed and so he squeezed her hand and followed her in. He looked away as Eleanor done what could be the most important thing ever in his life. When she was done all there was left to do was wait and so Jasper held her, he held her and he counted, he counted down until it was time. Someone had to look, either he or her but neither made a move once Jasper informed Eleanor that it was time. "I'm shitting it." Jasper said.

Eleanor laughed against him. The small act brought a smile to Jasper's face. "No fucking shit, Jasper, so am I."

A few more minutes passed and they stood there in silence. "This is ridiculous," Eleanor laughed. "We're fucking adults; we should be able to look at a little fucking stick."

Jasper laughed then too. "Speak for yourself, you pissed on that thing, I can't look at it." He joked, causing Eleanor to playfully slap his chest and call him a bastard.

"I don't want to look alone," Eleanor admitted, there was a certain vulnerability in her voice that Jasper had never witnessed before and it both terrified and intrigued him. "Jasper, please."

Jasper sighed. "Okay," He said. "Together."

"Together." Eleanor repeated.

So they counted to three and then they looked… Together. Nobody said anything, not at first. Eleanor spoke first. "Oh my god."

Then Jasper's eyes widened once he realized what it meant. "Holy shit."

Eleanor started crying then, she hadn't wanted to, not at all but once it started she couldn't stop and Jasper felt guilty then, for doing this to her, rationally he knew that it takes two but still, he couldn't help but feel guilty. "It'll be okay," Jasper assured her. "I, um, well, we'll do whatever you want to do Len, anything, you name it, I'll do it."

She looked at him then, eyes still wet from her tears and a blotched face and yet Jasper, well, he still found her to be the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. _'Shit, I'm so whipped.' Jasper thought to himself._ He looked at her just as intensely, if not more, as she looked at him. She was terrified, that much was obvious but Jasper, he looked so calm and she envied that but was glad for it too.

"I don't fucking know," Eleanor whispered. "Fucking hell."

He smiled at her in understanding, he was just as confused, just as afraid. She had slumped down as was now sitting on her bathroom floor in silence, her legs sprawled out in front of her, Jasper nearly tripped over them when he went to go and sit down beside her. Eleanor found herself leaning on Jasper, literally and figuratively, not that he minded. Jasper had put his arm around her and just sat there with her, she needed silence, she needed to escape the noise and he got that. After twenty minutes had passed Jasper kissed the top of her head. "It'll be okay," He mumbled, trying his best to sound believable. "Anything we do is your call, I'll do whatever you want."

Something snapped in Eleanor then, she knew rationally that he wasn't trying to force her into getting rid of it, the baby, but she just had to say it out loud. "I'm not having a fucking abortion Jasper," She snapped at him. "So you can either fuck off or watch whilst I become a fucking beached whale but fucking tell me, just tell me, don't slip off in the middle of the night, tell me, fucking tell me now Jasper!"

Instead of pulling away Jasper scooted closer to her, just a little bit, his hand caressing her arm. She looked right at him and he didn't look away, in fact, he welcomed it. He wanted to say it, right then, those three words. "Eleanor," He said. "Len… I, I'm not going anywhere. I don't want to be without you but I don't want to complicate your life either, this, us, a baby deserves better, you… You deserve better. I'm gonna be better, I'm not going to be like my dad, my parents, I can't, I can't do that Princess, I don't want to go, I want to stay. Here. With you. The both of you."

Eleanor had softened and cried for a reason other than sadness or fear, his words brought her happiness. Jasper had wrapped both of his arms around her then, they were a tangle of limbs, but neither had a care in the world. "We'll figure it out," Jasper told her. "I promise."

"Okay." Eleanor replied, her voice hoarse from all the crying.

"Eleanor, I l-"

"No." Eleanor said, interrupting him before he could finish. "Don't, not because of this, not now… Please, Jasper, don't."

Jasper did his best to conceal his disappointment but he understood, she needed to see it, to see his love for her and how genuine it was, not when she was overwhelmed by hormones crying on her bathroom floor after finding out she was pregnant. Now wasn't the time and he understood. "Okay, Princess, okay."


	10. The Tenth Way

**AN: Hello! Back again, hopefully you enjoy :)**

* * *

" **You're important too."**

* * *

It happened so fast. One minute he was right behind her, laughing and joking, then a voice nearby shouted "Fuck the monarchy!" and he moved before she could even process what was happening. He had seen an alarming object and wasn't willing to take any risks, he didn't hesitate when he grabbed the Princess and pulled her behind him. "What the fuck, Jasper?"

She looked up and it was only then she noticed. People were screaming now and running as fast as they could away from the area. There was only one other guard with them and technically he was the only one on duty, Jasper hadn't been a bodyguard in quite some time though he still guarded Eleanor's body... Thoroughly.

Jasper's only concern was Eleanor. Well, her and the mad man with a gun standing near them. He didn't turn around, didn't want to lose any contact with the threat, not for a second. The man stepped closer and Jasper didn't falter, not for a second. "Get the Princess out of here!" Jasper ordered the bodyguard, Mark something. Mark didn't question Jasper but as he grabbed Eleanor she tried to resist, she didn't want to get shot or die but she didn't want to leave Jasper either. "Now!" Jasper snapped.

Eleanor couldn't look away even though part of her wanted to, if something happened to Jasper… No. She stopped herself from going to that place, the place in her mind that was full of thoughts that haunted her at night for hours on end. She had been shoved in the car by Mark and locked inside, it was the safest place for her, considering the whole bullet proof glass thing. There driver was nowhere to be seen though or else the Princess would already be on the way back to the Palace. Mark was beside her and if he had any fear whatsoever it didn't show on his face. Eleanor didn't stop shouting at him, "You can't just fucking leave him!" but her words fell on death ears.

"You are the Princess; you are the only of any importance." Mark said, no emotion in his voice or on his face, this only added to Eleanor's rage but also her confusion. If he had no care for anyone besides her why hadn't he climbed into the front of the car and driven her away? Surely that is what he was supposed to have done. Eleanor's rage fizzled out and now all that was left with fear, not for herself but for Jasper.

As Eleanor became overwhelmed with panic a gunshot rung out, naturally the first thing Eleanor did was scream. Then another gunshot. _Bang. Bang. Bang._ She couldn't stop herself from reaching right over Mark for the door but he was too fast. _Jasper. Jasper. Jasper._ His name was the only thing on her mind, she couldn't stop saying it, his name sounded like a prayer from her lips. Eleanor jumped when she heard a loud thump against the car, Mark was alert, gun in hand. But then, then it stopped. "IT'S ME!"

Eleanor's heart was beating hard in her chest and tears quickly followed, tears of joy, of relief. _Jasper_.

"MARK! OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!" Jasper shouted, clearly exasperated. He kept on banging the door and it took about thirty seconds before Mark moved, unlocking the door. "Get in the fucking front and get the princess out of here." Jasper commanded, as though he was the one with seniority, as if he was the boss. Mark didn't ask questions he just did as he was told.

"Jasper," Eleanor said, the expression on her face saying more than she ever could. "You're okay?"

Jasper recognized that it was more of a question than a statement and he nodded. "I'm okay."

* * *

She hadn't seen Jasper in hours. He'd been dealing with police and various other officials whilst she'd been stuck at the palace, Liam and her mother hadn't left her alone for a second since she'd returned. She understood but she didn't want this, not right now, rationally she knew Jasper was okay but she needed him here, now, with her. The Queen left Eleanor's room to talk with Mr Hill who had requested a meeting of the upmost importance. Liam sat beside his sister in silence and let her lean on him. Then, well then her door opened and in walked Jasper Frost, he looked different. Liam stood up almost immediately and excused himself. "Hey Len, sorry I-"

Eleanor launched herself at him, almost knocked him backwards and he stopped speaking as a result and just held her. As he held her, Eleanor's mind raced with thoughts of what could have happened, how close they had been, what he'd done. She pulled away and it didn't surprise him, he braced himself for what he knew was coming. _Thwack._ Eleanor's hand connected with Jasper's cheek, hard. "That's a good slap you got there," Jasper joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"You idiot!" She shouted, her eyes filled with rage. "You absolute bastard!" Eleanor kept slapping his chest and she couldn't stop, she was on the verge of tears and when they fell, she still couldn't stop, and Jasper just let her. He knew. He just always knew.

"Eleanor," He whispered, his face the picture of concern. It had been a few minutes now and he needed her to stop, he had to talk to her. As she was about to hit his chest again he grabbed both of her hands quickly and ever so easily. "Stop," He said. "Please stop."

They were so close together now. His forehead touched hers. Jasper could hear Eleanor breathe, it soothed him. "You can't do that," She said quietly. "You're important too, you wanker."

His hands had moved, now they cupped her face. "I'm sorry." He said.

"Okay," She replied. "Good."

"We're okay?" He asked. "You and me?"

Eleanor leaned forward and kissed him. "Mhmm," She mumbled against his lips.

Jasper chuckled, she could feel his relief instantly. _You're important, you're important to me, Jasper from Nevada._


	11. The Eleventh Way

AN: Hello there, it's been a while, I know... I started UNI so I've not had much time for fanfiction writing as of late but Season 3 of The Royals is coming and I wanted to get back on here and get on with this collection of one shots. Thanks to all who've left reviews in my absence, it's very much appreciated! :)

* * *

" **I need you."**

* * *

They'd been arguing just ten minutes ago, one of the maids had gotten a little too friendly with Jasper and though she knew Jasper was not in the wrong, that the maid she just fired was, it enraged her.

Fifteen minutes ago they had been fighting and now Cyrus had a gun pointing at Queen Helena and Eleanor just happened to be with her when Cyrus made his entrance, quickly pulling his gun out, consumed by a drug binge rage. Her uncle had literally lost the plot is the first thing the Princess thought, then she thought of Robbie and Simon and Liam... Jasper... Jasper.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Queen Helena demanded.

Cyrus snarled, then proceeded to wave his gun frantically. "You!" He shouted with pure hatred. "You've taken everything from me, there's nothing left, you evil bitch!"

For once in her life Eleanor was at a loss for words. All she could do was watch, frozen in fear until the sound of her phone ringing in her pocket brought her crashing back down to reality.

It was then Cyrus pointed his gun at Eleanor. "Give it to me!" He demanded.

In normal circumstances Eleanor would never willingly hand over her phone but she was left with no choice and so she did as asked, refusing to allow her Uncle to see any signs of her fear.

Cyrus accepted the call with a gleaming smile on his face. "How unsurprising," He commented, his gun still pointed at his niece. "The princess' lapdog comes running."

Eleanor could hear muffled shouting but she couldn't hear exactly what it was Jasper had been saying whilst Cyrus goaded him.

Queen Helena glanced over at her daughter, she could feel her fear and throughout the madness all that mattered to her was the safety of her daughter.

"God, Cyrus, do you really think you can get away with this?" She asked, eyebrow raised, she truly was curious.

Cyrus laughed manically. "Fuck no bitch but don't you see? I really don't care anymore, I have fuck all to lose whore!"

It was then that they all could hear footsteps, someone approaching, then came the calling of a certain name. "Eleanor! Eleanor, FUCK, where the fuck are you? Eleanor!"

Eleanor's eyes darted towards the door, the panic on her face visible which only brought Cyrus his own sick version of joy. So, when the door opened her stomach was in knots and as soon as Eleanor saw Jasper she wanted to cry.

It took Jasper about ten seconds all in all to register the situation. Three royals, one unhinged, two at risk, a gun and one off duty bodyguard... With no gun.

"SHIT," Jasper thought to himself. "SHIT. SHIT. SHIT."

He looked over and saw Queen Helena first, then he looked back at Cyrus whose gun was currently pointed at him, then he looked at Eleanor and he was overwhelmed by the love he felt for her and the need to protect from the world, including a drug crazed psychotic uncle.

"So, lapdog," Cyrus said. "I can't decide who to shoot first." His eyes flickered between Eleanor and Helena. "What do you think?"

Jasper wanted to say "Yourself you crazy fucking bastard" but said nothing.

Cyrus laughed. "Helpful. See, it's only that bitch Helena I wanted dead but the dear Princess just happened to be here too. Crazy, no?"

Jasper ignored him, his attention focused on both Eleanor and her mother. "Are you alright? Has he hurt you?"

"We're fine Frost," The Queen answered.

Jasper looked at Eleanor who nodded in agreement. "Yeah, fine" She told him, her voice quiet.

The way she answered him was almost enough to break him. But he couldn't break not now, right now she needs him, he can break later... Later, there will be a later, there has to be a later. Jasper threw both hands in the air, carefully making his way towards Eleanor.

Cyrus laughed, waving the gun around before finally deciding to point it back at Helena. "You move, lapdog and I'll shoot."

Jasper froze, he had a choice to make and little time to make it... As Cyrus continued goading Helena, Jasper took a deep breath and allowed himself one quick look at Eleanor. "I love you," He thought to himself as her eyes met his.  
And then he moved. He moved faster than he even knew he was capable of, one second the gun was only in Cyrus' grasp and the next both Cyrus and Jasper were grappling for it.

Eleanor could do nothing but scream but her mother took her hand, squeezed it in an attempt to stop the trembling and yanked her daughter back, just in case. Jasper's thoughts were under attack as Eleanor's scream pierced his heart. He couldn't afford to look away but if he could he'd see Eleanor with her mother near her desk, Helena having pressed the panic button underneath her desk just seconds prior.

It happened quickly. Jasper saw an opening and took it, Cyrus fell backwards and his grip loosened enough for Jasper to quickly grab the gun from his grasp.

Shouting. Lots of shouting. Heavily armed guards barged into the room

and he could feel Helena and Eleanor's relief at their arrival. But something didn't feel quite right but he couldn't put his finger on it. Eleanor was soon behind him, she expected him to turn around immediately but he groaned in pain. Then the sound of her voice brought him to turn around.

"Len," he said quietly, though loud enough for her and her mother to hear him. "I love you."

Before the Princess could return the sentiment Jasper lifted his jacket a little, then looked down to see blood pouring out once he moved his hand Eleanor and Helena could see too, he quickly looked at Eleanor before falling to the ground. All he could hear was the faint sound of Eleanor shouting, in between blinks he could see her looking over him, his eyes felt heavy, all he wanted to do was close them.

"Don't, don't you dare Jasper, you don't get to quit, after all the bullshit you put me through, you don't get to do this, do you fucking hear me Jasper Frost? You don't get to worm your way in and make me let you in just for you to go and fucking die on me, you don't, you're not allowed to die, okay? You're not allowed."

* * *

Hours passed, hours and hours, it felt like a lifetime. When the door swung open and a doctor walked through Eleanor stood up, bracing herself for the fall she'd have when they told her he was dead.

"Mr Frost is a very lucky man, just an inch to the left and he likely wouldn't have even made it to the hospital alive."

Eleanor let out a breath, she hadn't realized she'd been holding it in as the doctor spoke. "Can I see him?"

The doctor looked hesitant. "He's in the ICU, your highness, ordinarily you must wait at least two hours post-surgery before visiting so I-"

"My daughter will be taken to see Mr Frost," Helena interrupted hastily, a look on her face she knew no doctor would be able to challenge. "We appreciate everything you've done, Doctor… Thank you."

As Eleanor stood there, by his bedside, her mother waited outside with their security detail. Eleanor held his hand as she spoke, "Bloody hell Jasper, we have one fight and you have to go and get yourself shot to get out of the dog house, talk about taking things to the extreme,"

She trembled. The way he looked, just laid there, hooked up to machines, it terrified her, and it reminded her that for once she really had something to lose. If she lost him… She didn't want to think about, she couldn't allow herself to, it would only hurt her.

"I need you Jasper, you bloody stupid American."


End file.
